Hockey Day Minnesota details, programming set

NHL.com

Hockey Day Minnesota on Saturday, the eighth annual celebration of hockey from peewees to pros, will feature more than 16 hours of original hockey-related programming on FOX Sports North and continuous coverage through the Minnesota Wild's social media channels and on Wild.com/hockeyday.

Fans can participate in the events through social media, with the opportunity to win prizes and be part of the telecast via text and photo submissions collected using #HDM2014.

The State of Hockey Legacy Award, first presented as a part of Hockey Day 2010, will be presented to Lou Nanne, the Minnesota hockey legend who this year celebrates calling his 50th high school state tournament.

Programming for Hockey Day Minnesota will also feature items on: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Paul Martin, an Elk River native; Andrew Qualy, an Army vet seriously wounded in Iraq, and how the Minnesota Warriors hockey team has helped in his physical and mental recovery; the Special Olympics and the sport of poly-hockey; the Handke Pit, a one-of-a-kind outdoor rink in Elk River; and the Reilley brothers, Conner, Ryan and Mike, who all followed their father's footsteps in playing for the University of Minnesota.

For the first time, FOX Sports North will incorporate an exclusive Hockey Day Minnesota theme song throughout the broadcast. "Winter Love" by Bracher Brown, which was previewed earlier in January by Paul Fletcher on Cities 97, will air throughout the day along with highlight clips and unique content. The track can be purchased on iTunes.

He's only 17 but he can see the ice so well and he moves the puck and goes to the open ice all the time, so I just think he's a player that is ready to play in the NHL. I'm really looking forward to coaching someone like this.

— U.S. National Junior Team coach Ron Wilson on Auston Matthews, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft